Glassboro man found guilty of sexually assaulting 4-year-old in his home

WOODBURY — A 48-year-old Glassboro man was found guilty Wednesday of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old boy who was enrolled in a day-care center operated in his home by his wife.

The verdict came in a retrial of Martin on charges of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a chile. An earlier jury was unable to reach a verdict in January 2014, but found Martin not guilty of a second-degree sexual assault charge, authorities said.

At the request of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, Superior Court Judge M. Christine Allen-Jackson revoked Martin’s bail after this conviction and he was placed in jail. No sentencing dates was scheduled, pending evaluation of Martin at the state Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center, a facility for sex offenders, in Avenel, said authorities.

During the four-day trial, Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Michelle Jeneby called to the witness stand the victim, now 8 years old, as well as his parents, a doctor who specializes in child sexual abuse cases and detectives who interviewed Martin — including a New Jersey State Police officer to whom Martin ultimately acknowledged committing the offenses twice at his home in March 2011, authorities said.

The defense argued the admission was made under duress.

Martin wrote a note of apology to the boy, which was shown to the jury. Jeneby said the note confirmed a sexual assault done knowingly.